Improvement in locks tor pipe-couplings



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GEORGE A. MCILHENNY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT, OF COLUMBIA".

Letters Patent No. 105,105, dated July 5, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. MGILHENNY, of Washington, in the county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Lock for Pipe-Couplings or Unions, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to a device to be applied to the unioncouplings of pipes, to prevent the pipes from being uncoupled 4by unauthorized persons; and

It consists in av hollow metallic case, which maybe applied around apipe and lockedin such manner as to inclose the coupling. y

Figurel is a top plan view oi' my device opened;

Figure 2, an-inside face view'of the same;

Figure 3, a cross-section of lthe lock in position around a union coupling; j

Figure 4, a top plan view of` the lock in position with thevpipe, taken in section just above it', and

Figure 5, a crosssection on the line f1] y of iig. 2.

In constructing my locking device, I iirst provide two semicircular bands or cases A A', having inwardlyturned iianges, b, on their edges, and hinge these bands together, as shown at a, iigs. 1 and 2, s o that, when closed, they form a round case or ring, as in iig. 3.

This case I make of such size that it may be clasped around a pipe so as t0 in'close the coupling-nut, as shown in iig. 4, in which D and E represent the two pipes,

and F the coupling-nut, which. screws onto the screwneck t in the usual manner.

The anges b I make of such width th'at when the case is applied 'around a coupling in the manner described, the flanges on one side of the case -will bear closely againstv the pipe E, behind the screw-neck t, while the auges ou the opposite side will engage over the top ofthe nut F, as shown in figs. 3 ande.

It will-be seen that, when the case A A is thus applied, the flanges b hold the nut down in place on the neck t, so that'it cannot be unscrewed, and that they thereby prevent the pipes from being nncoupled Yor disconnected while the case A A is in position.

To provide for locking the case shut when applied, I provide the part A, at its free end, with a head,=c, having two projecting arms or hasps, d d', on its face, and also provide the part A' with a corresponding recessed head, c', into which the arms d cl' project when the two parts are closed together.

Through the arm d I make two or more holes, e, and

out narrow slits, j', from the end ofthe arm into thesev holes, as shown in iig. 5, and through the arm d', in

line with holes e, I make small holes, s, as shown in figs. 2 and 5.

In the head c I mount parallel slidingr bolts, g, (as many in number as the holes e,) each having, near its front end, an enlargement, It, and ou the back ends 0f these bolts, I place spiral springs, i, soarranged as to keep the bolts thrown forward, as shown in fig. 2. These bolts g are sol arranged that when pushed back in certain positions, their forward ends, which are of small diameter, will, upon the case being closed, entery the slits f of arm (l, and their rear ends be brought down in front of the arm d'. If, when this has been done, the bolts are released, the springs i force them forward, vso that the enlargements h enter the holes c and loc-k the case shut. f

To unlock the case, it is only necessary to push back the bolts until the enlargements clear the holes c but, I -to render the locking more difcult, I arrange the bolts so that they can slide further than is required for merely unlocking, and so that when moved more than to just disengage their rear ends, they willenter the holes s in arm d', and thereby relock the case.

For the purpose of readily opening the lock, I make holes, u, through the end of head c in line with the bolts, and then provide a key, O, having a series of pins, I, of the properlengths to set the bolts, as shown in figs. 1 and 2-. I When the locking devices are thus arranged, and the bolts made of different lengths, they will be found to require such nice adjustments that itis almost impossible to unlock and open the case without the proper key.

In this manner I produce a cheap, strong, and sin1- ple device, which can be applied to the ordinary union coupling in an instant, and which, when applied eiiectually, guards against Athe pipes -being disconnected except by the persons provided with the key.

It is designed to manufacture the device and put them in the market of different sizes and forms, adapted for the various sizes and styles of couplings in general use, so that a person provided with an assortment' of the locks can readily select therefrom one that will fit any particular coupling without fitting or alteration.

It is obvious that my locking device canbe applied to pipes used for any purpose, as for gas, water, or liquor, b ut it is more especiallydesigned for locking the coupling that connects the supply-pipe to gasmeters, as it is a well-known practice among a certain has been a common habit with the gas' companies to cover the joints with wax and impress their private seal thereon, but this has been found ineffectual, as

the wax .is frequently destroyed by accident or desigm It is obvious that the form of my device may be materially varied in form, to adapt it for diierent kinds ot' couplings, and that, instead of havingI the locking devices formv apart of the case, a pad-lock may be applied inv any suitable manner to the free ends of the parts A A.

If desired, a. seal-holder may be arranged within the head c in such manner that arpaper or seal can be secured over the 4inside of the key-holes, so that the key cannot be inserted without puncturingthe seal. 1f this be done, however, it willbe necessalry to bevel the rm cl or the enlargements of the bolts, so that the lock can he sprung shut without using the key to set and hold t-he bolts.

To render the picking of the lock more diicult than otherwise, the front ends of the bolts g may be made pointed, so as to aiord a small bearing for n. wire or tool inserted through the key-hole.

2. Ajoiut-shell 0i case, provided with a. lock, substantiall y as described.

' GEO. A. MCIL'HENNY.

Witnesses:

PHIL. T. DODGE, H. B. MUNN. 

